WHO Europe Introduces Mentorship Toolkit to Support and Empower Nurses Entering the Workforce

Starting work as a nurse can feel very different from studying nursing. A newly qualified nurse may know the clinical theory and have completed placements, but working as part of a healthcare team brings new responsibilities, decisions and expectations. Having someone experienced to turn to can make that early period easier to manage.

WHO Europe has now introduced a new mentorship toolkit focused on this stage of a nurse’s career. The resource is aimed at nurses entering clinical practice and the experienced nurses who support them.

The toolkit was developed through the European Union-funded Nursing Action project, which is working with countries across the WHO European Region on issues including nurse recruitment, retention and professional development. The new resource looks beyond getting nurses into jobs and focuses on how they can be supported once they begin working.

One of the main features is that the toolkit has two courses. One is for early-career nurses and the other is for mentors. The courses are designed to work alongside each other, so nurses can learn how to make the most of mentoring while mentors receive guidance on how to support nurses during the transition into practice. WHO Europe says this parallel approach is a first for a toolkit of this kind and is being rolled out across the European Region.

For nurses, the course covers practical issues that can arise when moving into professional work. It helps them reflect on their experiences, build confidence and become more comfortable taking responsibility. It also looks at how they can develop a sense of belonging within their teams and use their relationship with a mentor effectively.

The mentor course focuses on the other side of that relationship. Mentors are given guidance on creating a supportive environment, offering useful feedback and helping nurses think through difficult experiences. The course also covers how mentors can support nurses as they take on more responsibility and become part of their workplace teams.

Both courses contain an introduction and six modules, using short videos, practical guides and exercises that encourage reflection. The material is built around four areas: support, reflection, development and belonging. These areas reflect the fact that becoming confident at work involves more than learning clinical tasks.

WHO Europe says early-career nurses are also learning how to make decisions, communicate with different healthcare professionals, manage responsibility and develop their professional identity. A mentor can give them a place to ask questions, talk through difficult situations and consider what they could do differently next time.

The toolkit was piloted with nurses and mentors in nine countries across the WHO European Region, covering different healthcare settings. The pilots gave WHO Europe information about how mentorship works in practice, including the role of workplace culture, available time and resources, and the difficulties some nurses may face when trying to access support.

The wider Nursing Action project currently involves 21 countries and is funded by the European Union through the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety. Its work covers recruitment, retention and professional development within nursing.

For nurses and nursing students outside Europe, the announcement is useful to follow because it shows how one region is approaching the early years of a nursing career. However, the toolkit is specifically a WHO European Region initiative. It does not change nursing registration, visa or migration requirements. For nurses entering the workforce, the message behind the initiative is practical: getting qualified is only the first step. The support available during the first years of professional practice can also matter as nurses build confidence, take on responsibility and find their place within a healthcare team.

Sources:

https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/17-09-2026-who-launches-new-mentorship-toolkit-to-support-nurses-entering-the-workforce